Baltimore politics veteran Anthony McCarthy retires due to health problems, receives outpouring of support

Anthony McCarthy, a regular around Baltimore City Hall and veteran of numerous political campaigns, sat in a circle of reverends in Ellicott City. They prayed over him as his eyes welled with tears.

“Right now, as we say farewell to our brother for the moment … God, we trust you. We believe you,” said the Rev. Jamie Washington. “We trust you and we believe you to cover and to keep him on this journey.”

Struggling with his health and in need of a kidney transplant, McCarthy, 55, is leaving the city to move to an assisted living facility close to his mother in Virginia. The Wednesday night event, advertised as an “Anthony McCarthy Lovefest,” at La Palapa Grill and Cantina was an effort to raise $100,000 to help pay for assisted living and expenses related to his battle with kidney disease. McCarthy plans to leave Baltimore in about a month.

The event was, indeed, a lovefest, with dozens of speakers and nearly 100 attendees laughing, crying and sharing memories of McCarthy collected over the years.

Nicolee Ambrose, the national committeewoman representing Maryland in the Republican National Committee, called McCarthy “a walking angel.” Willie Flowers, president of the NAACP Maryland state conference, compared McCarthy’s writing to author James Baldwin. Former president of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, Ronald Flamer, said McCarthy “has the intellect of a Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois,” the “toughness of a Thurgood Marshall,” and the “eloquence of a Martin Luther King Jr.”

“You’ve tonight — let me just keep track — been compared for your writing to James Baldwin, for your mind to Thurgood Marshall and for your oratory and your words to Martin Luther King. Those are not small men,” said attorney Thiru Vignarajah. “As I heard people say that, I thought to myself it is only a matter of time, decades from now … where people will compare people to you.”

McCarthy has worked with key players in Baltimore’s political scene over the course of his career. He served as a spokesman for former mayors Sheila Dixon, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Catherine Pugh — all Democrats — and worked on campaigns for Pugh, Vignarajah and Democratic U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume. Recently, he worked in 2021 as special agent of communications and equity at the Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General.

McCarthy was also a pastor, served as the editor of Baltimore’s Afro-American newspaper, led the Baltimore City NAACP and hosted “The Anthony McCarthy Show” on WEAA-FM in Baltimore, which he called “one of the proudest moments of his life.”

“Between Anthony and [state] Senator Antonio Hayes, I think I fired and hired them more than anybody else,” Dixon said, laughing. “But we’re with you. People are here.”

McCarthy all but announced Dixon’s speculated candidacy for mayor, saying she is “getting involved in a campaign.”

“I’m not going to say anymore, but you may be able to vote for her again very soon,” he continued.

In an interview after the event, McCarthy said he wishes there was a way he “could have protected” Dixon and Pugh when they were going through their respective scandals.

Pugh served prison time after she was convicted of conspiracy, perjury and tax evasion related to her “Healthy Holly” children’s book series, and Dixon resigned from office to settle corruption charges.

“They were both amazing women who are great mayors,” said McCarthy. “Things tripped them up, and I wish I could have caught it first and protected them. They’re great women.”

Vignarajah said McCarthy is the one who convinced him to run for Baltimore state’s attorney. According to Vignarajah, McCarthy asked him to meet over breakfast and said “I have only known you from a distance and I want to know you up close.” By the end of their meeting, Vignarajah said McCarthy had persuaded him to run and said he would leave his host job at WEAA in Baltimore to help his campaign.

“The man takes leaps of faith,” he said.

Vignarajah ultimately lost to Democrat Ivan Bates, who told McCarthy in a video message Wednesday that it’s time for Baltimore to give back to McCarthy after he’s given so much of himself over the years.

Democratic Gov. Wes Moore could also not attend the event, but said in a video message that McCarthy was “one of our first advocates” in his gubernatorial campaign.

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“You were the one telling folks, ‘Listen, pay attention to what they’re talking about,’ and we’re here,” Moore said.

Though the room brimmed with love and adoration for McCarthy, his supporters would often turn to acknowledge his illness — the reason he is leaving the city he has served for so many years. Some told stories of hospital visits, trips to his dialysis center and midnight phone calls. Others expressed their frustration with the health care system.

Yolanda “Maria” Martinez, the special secretary of the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs, said that it has been “ridiculously challenging” to find an assisted living facility that can accommodate McCarthy’s needs.

“It shouldn’t be this complicated to get health care,” Martinez said. “This has been a horrific time.”

McCarthy said he doesn’t “want to go home to Virginia,” but knows he has to for the sake of his health.

However, McCarthy stressed that he’s not done with Baltimore.

“I’m coming — definitely coming back home,” he said.

Originally Published: Jul 20, 2023 at 1:38 pm

For the record

This article has been corrected to say that Anthony McCarthy left the staff of the Baltimore inspector general’s office in 2021. The Sun regrets the error.